Malik Evans is running for City Council

Malik Evans, a longtime Rochester school board commissioner, is running for a seat on City Council. All five at-large seats are up on Council this year.

Evans, a Democrat, won his seat on the school board in 2003, roughly a year after graduating from the University of Rochester. He is the youngest person to ever be elected to the board.

Evans has two years left in his current term.

“I never run away from a challenge,” he said in a phone call earlier today. “And serving on the school board is one of the most challenging elected positions in New York State.”

There are so many issues that many of Rochester’s students and families confront that need to be addressed outside of the district for them to succeed, he said. Evans wants to devote his attention to Rochester’s extreme level of childhood poverty and related issues such as the city's high rate of teen pregnancy.

Evans in many ways is the most recognizable face on the school board. He was president of the board from 2008 to 2013, and dealt with some controversial issues. For instance, he strongly opposed a contentious bid for mayoral control of the district by then mayor Bob Duffy.

Three school board seats will be available in this year's election. The terms of President Van White, Vice President Cynthia Elliott, and Jose Cruz end in December.